Jesus Loves Me

“A man can receive nothing[he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing]except as it has been granted to him from heaven.[A man must be content to receive the gift which is given himfrom heaven; there is no other source.]”John 3:27 Amplified

John the Baptist said it because he knew it!

“A man can only receive what is given him from heaven.” John lived this. He didn’t merely know it as a principle. The Baptist held this as his living secret. He feasted on every drop of heaven’s bounty for him personally. He looked not to what God withheld but became radiant in what God gave.

John was witness to God’s goodness. By open-handedly receiving what God supplied and not resenting Him for what He didn’t, he dwelt in God’s goodness. For John, the testimony of God was true. Whatever John didn’t have, it was given to him in God Himself. Notice I didn’t say “by” God, but IN God Himself. God was John’s supply.

Now, as God’s child, I am called to live in exactly the same way. God desires to BE my supply. But for some reason, I resist this privileged provision.

You know it is such foolishness to shirk away from God BEING my supply. He Himselfis going to be the supply of my needs. The best of the best and I wiggle about like a worm to supply for myself. Why? Because of this . . . it demands my complete weakness and utter vulnerability.

I am going to tell on myself here, to show you how deep-seated is my will to be strong. When I was 4 years old, I briefly went to a little Presbyterian Sunday school, with felt boards, Bible stories, cookies and juice. And at some point during this time, the teacher would lead us in a few choruses of “Jesus Loves Me.” I knew full well the meaning of this simple little tune. Let me share with you how I would sing it.

Yep, this is my story. I knew the words were “They are weak,” but I would hum the tune instead. I willfully and determinedly would not sing those three words. I knew the cost and was completely unwilling to comply. I would be strong. I was a child and I knew I didn’t want to be weak. Worse, I would NOT be weak.

My entire life has been a process of being convinced that “I AM WEAK, and HE IS STRONG!” God has been very patient to teach me this lesson.

I have made the choice to lean and be in dependence, but I have no power to perform it. I have a whole post I want to do about “John the beloved,” but let me bookmark that and simply say this: John was a man willing to be weak and lean on the very breast of Jesus. John was the disciple that Jesus loved, and I believe it is no mere coincidence that he also was the “leaning disciple.”